By F. Noel Perry
Article Launched: 12/26/2007 01:37:26 AM PST
Despite the unanimous recommendation of legal and technical staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Administrator Stephen Johnson has denied California’s request for a waiver to implement its “cleaner cars” law of 2002.
This misguided decision not only fails to recognize how implementing this innovative policy would dramatically reduce greenhouse gases in California, it also fails to take into account how adopting this standard would stimulate technology innovation that would help create a zero-emission-vehicle industry in our state.
According to the Congressional Research Service, “California has served as a laboratory for demonstrating cutting-edge emission-control technologies, which once tested there, are adopted in a similar fashion at the national level.”
From 1947, when California established the Los Angeles Air Control District - the first air pollution agency in the United States - to the passage of our Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) in 2006, California has been a national leader in policy innovation to address critical environmental and energy needs. As a result of appliance and building standards and other policy reforms to promote energy efficiency - which were first passed in California and later adopted by the federal government - Californians saved $56 billion on energy from 1977 to 2003. And they are expected to save an additional $23 billion by 2013 - billions of dollars consumers spend to grow our economy.
Read the whole article on mercurynews.com.
F. NOEL PERRY is founder and president of Next 10, a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Palo Alto that addresses the challenges facing California over the next decade and beyond. He wrote this article for the Mercury News.
By Matthew Wells
BBC News, New York, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will now be eco-friendly
New York City has begun an ambitious project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
The first symbolic change has already occurred in the lights on the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree - it now has energy-saving bulbs.
The lights on the Brooklyn Bridge will also be replaced next year with low-energy bulbs, costing $500,000.
Since they last three-times longer than conventional bulbs, the city is expected to make long-term savings.
New York is going “green” - that is the headline billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to see going into the New Year, as he starts to tackle the huge energy costs of a city that accounts for a whole 1% of America’s carbon emissions.
New hybrid police and fire vehicles will also be phased in, along with hybrid garbage trucks, subject to a trial period.
IF BALI failed to produce much besides cop-outs and compromises, at least the European Commission showed that it means business when it comes to tackling carbon emissions. Transport-related CO2 emissions in the European Union grew by one-third between 1990 and 2005 and now constitute 27% of the EU total. Of these, the commission reckons, cars and vans are responsible for about half.
On Wednesday December 19th the commission published its final proposals for cleaning up Europe’s cars. Although it will be at least a year before they become law and there is still scope for some of the details to change there is now little doubt that in only a few years’ time European carmakers will have to meet the world’s strictest CO2-emission standards.
At present Europe’s cars emit an average of about 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g/km). There has been some reduction since carmakers were last threatened with legislation a decade ago, but progress has been painfully slow—about 1.5% a year rather than the 3% needed to meet the voluntary target of 140g/km by 2008 that the industry agreed to a few years ago. The commission is therefore insisting that by 2012, the fleet-average emissions from new cars sold in the EU must not exceed 130g/km, with another 10g/km reduction coming from other sources, such as low rolling-resistance tyres, more efficient air-conditioning and greater use of biofuels.
The proposals have split Europe’s car industry down the middle. The French and the Italians, represented by PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault and Fiat, have so far been fairly sanguine. In 2006 their fleets, heavily biased towards fuel-efficient small cars, averaged 142-147g/km. It will not be easy for them to meet the new rules without increasing the cost of their cheap, low-margin cars, but they are close enough to be confident that they can get there.
For the Germans it is a different matter. Volkswagen makes plenty of small cars but its fleet-average emissions have actually been rising slightly because of the recent success of its Audi brand. But it is Mercedes-Benz and BMW that feel most threatened by the commission’s plans. Their brands are synonymous with big, powerful cars that promise luxury and high performance. Mercedes props up the 2006 emissions league table with a fleet average of 188g/km, and BMW is next from bottom with 184g/km.
BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Commission will propose this week to set carbon dioxide targets for cars based on their weight as sought by German carmakers, although some key points still have to be ironed out, officials said.
Under plans from the Commission, new passenger cars would be required to emit on average no more than 120 grammes per kilometre travelled as of 2012, which would represent a cut of about 25 percent from current levels.
Automakers would be required to limit average emissions across their fleet to 130 grammes per kilometer by improving the technology they use.
A cut of a further 10 grammes will be sought through improvements to air-conditioning systems, tyre pressure monitoring and gear shift indicators, while the use of biofuels would also be stepped up.
BALI, Indonesia (CNN) — In a dramatic reversal Saturday, the United States rejected and then accepted a compromise to set the stage for intense negotiations in the next two years aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.
The White House, however, said in a statement that it still has “serious concerns” about the agreement.
“The negotiations must proceed on the view that the problem of climate change cannot be adequately addressed through commitments for emissions cuts by developed countries alone. Major developing economies must likewise act,” the White House said.
Under the global warming pact, negotiating rounds would end in 2009.
The head of the U.S. delegation, Paula Dobriansky, undersecretary of state for democracy and global affairs, announced the United States was rejecting the plan. Her comments were met by booing from other delegations.
The White House said the negotiations must “clearly differentiate” and link responsibility with the level of emissions, size of the economy and energy use among developing countries.
“In our view, such smaller and less developed countries are entitled to receive more differentiated treatment so as to more truly reflect their special needs and circumstances,” the statement said.
Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, called the compromise “a modest but important road map,” and said the House committee would meet Wednesday to review the agreement.
